Pivot-gleat



w. u. ,smm. PIVOT CLEAT. APPLICATION FILED "AR. 5. I918.

1,304,616. Patented May 27, 19:9.

1 I mm '16 b O M 044% 61mm b5 ber can turn WINFI-ELD imxrnn SMITH, or. NEWARK, NEWJERSEY, 'AssIGNon' or oN'E-HALF :TO

BENQTAMINIMEYEROF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

PIVOT-GLEAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27, 1919.

Application'fil'e'ii March 5, 1m. Srial'No. 220,480.

To'all whom it mag concern;

Be it known that I, IV N LELD DEXTER SMIT 'a citizen of the United States,'and a residentor th'e'city "(if Newark,"county-of Essex, and State of New Jersey, "have 'invented a new and useful Improvement in Pivot-Cleats, of which the following is a views.

full, clear,'and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in cleats for boots'andsho'es, andespecially to a device of this character which is adapted for use on golf shoes, though it can be used for other purposes. In playing golfit is necessary in order to play successfully "to have shoes that will not slip on the turf or dirt, and it is customary to have the boot or shoe soles provided with cleats or hobs for this purpose. Such fixed devices prevent slipping, but there are disadvantages in their use. In making a stroke, for instance, especially if the stroke is one in which considerable energy is used, the body is twisted somewhat and the driver has a slight pivotal movement first on one foot and then on the other. With the fixed cleats or hobs this action is somewhat interfered with and sometimes where successive shots are made in this way, the twisting strain being interrupted by the fixed cleats or hobs will cause a lameness or strain in the foot, ankle or leg. The object of my invention is to produce a simple device which can be applied to the sole of a boot or shoe, and which while preventing the foot from slipping bodily, will permit an easy turning movement on either foot for the wearer and enable him to pull off a better shot than he would otherwise. Moreover, the device which embodies my invention has a tendency by reason of its freedom of movement to prevent the wearer from tearing up the turf, especially on the putting green.

In consonance with this idea, my invention comprises a pivot cleat embodying two members, one of which is adapted for attachment to the sole of a boot or shoe, and the other member of whichhas a pivotal connection with the first member and is adapted for contact with the ground, the second member being roughened or constructed so that it will not slip on the ground. By this arrangement it will be seen that the lower member anchors itself to the ground, while the foot and the upper membut can not slip bodily in any fasten the plate to the sole.

direction. Allof which will be more clearly understood from the description which follows.

Reference is'to be had to the accompanyingdrawings forming a 'part' of this 'specification, in whic'h'similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the Figure 1 is an inverted plan of my improved device as applied to the soleof a booto'r shoe;

I Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail inverted plan offthe device. i

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan of the upper member with the fastening c'lips spread out.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the lower mem ber, and

Fig. 5 is a cross section of Fig. 2.

The upper member of the device consists of an essentially flat plate 10 which is preferably provided with one-half 11 of an annular ball race, and with outwardly extendon the line 55 ing cars 12 which are perforated as shown at 13 in order that screws or other fastening devices may be passed through the holes to The lower member 14 is likewise a generally flat plate having the complementary half 15 of the ball race which receives the bearing balls 16, these lying as shown in the two halves 11 and 15 of the ball race. The plate 14: is also roughened in some way to prevent it from slipping on the ground, and a convenient way is'to press bosses 17 which will project downwardly from the plate and en ter the ground or turf.

It is obvious that the plates 14 and 10 must be held in the right relation, and a simple way to accomplish this is to have the upper plate 10 provided with projecting cleats 18 which can be doubled over beneath the edge of the lower plate as shown, thus preventing the lower plate from being displaced but permitting it to turn freely with relation to the top plate. 7

A device of the kind described is attached to the sole of each boot or shoe of a pair, and the wearer pays no attention to them in playing his game but makes his stroke precisely as he would with ordinary cleats. The result is, however, that while the foot can not slip bodily, the wearer in the natural movements of pivoting slightly or twisting slightly first on one foot and then on the other, can do this with the greatest facility, and it does not in the least interfere with his stroke. On the contrary, it facilitates the easy turning and movement of the body in making the stroke, and a player gets a much smoother stroke and a better follow through than where the ordinary devices are used.

I have shown in the drawings a preferred embodiment of my invention in which the two members 10 and 14: are provided with a ball bearing so that one moves freely with reference to the other, but it will be obvious that very many departures from the particular structure shown can be made without affecting the invention, the essential thing of which is to have the pivotal connection between the two plates of the cleat. Also it will be understood that while ball bearings are desirable, they are not essential, and that any means of keeping the two Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, I). G.

plates in the right relation to each other can be substituted for the means shown, and

that any suitable means can be employed for fastening the device to the shoe.

I claim 1. The combination with a golf shoe or the like, of a single anti-slipping cleat pivoted on the shoe near the front part of the sole, whereby the wearer can pivot on the cleat while the latter remains anchored.

2. The combination with a golf shoe or the like of a single cleat provided with downwardly projecting bosses, said cleat being pivoted on the shoe near the front part of the sole, whereby the wearer can pivot on the cleat while the latter remains anchored.

WINFIELD DEXTER SMITH.

\Vitnesses WARREN B. HUTGHINSON, M. G. ODoNNnL Commissioner of Patents, 

